BBS Route · Iowa · BCR 22
Desmoines Bird Survey Route
A standard 50-stop Breeding Bird Survey route. 66 species recorded across 8 survey years, no longer active.
66Species Recorded
8Years Surveyed
1968–1979Span
4Observers
Bird Species Found on Iowa Desmoines
Top 40 of 66 species by most recent count. Each links to its species trend.
| History | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Starling | Sturnidae | 148 | 1979 | +18% | 1970 | |
| Common Grackle | Icteridae | 110 | 1979 | +13% | 1970 | |
| House Sparrow | Passeridae | 78 | 1979 | +8% | 1970 | |
| Red-winged Blackbird | Icteridae | 44 | 1979 | +7% | 1970 | |
| Chimney Swift | Apodidae | 33 | 1979 | -50% | 1970 | |
| Common Nighthawk | Caprimulgidae | 22 | 1979 | +422% | 1970 | |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundinidae | 20 | 1979 | +56% | 1970 | |
| Song Sparrow | Passerellidae | 19 | 1974 | -11% | 1970 | |
| American Robin | Turdidae | 18 | 1979 | -37% | 1970 | |
| Rock Pigeon | Columbidae | 14 | 1979 | +45% | 1970 | |
| Dickcissel | Cardinalidae | 13 | 1979 | -49% | 1970 | |
| Common Yellowthroat | Parulidae | 8 | 1979 | -47% | 1970 | |
| Vesper Sparrow | Passerellidae | 7 | 1974 | +43% | 1970 | |
| Bank Swallow | Hirundinidae | 7 | 1974 | n/a | n/a | |
| Mourning Dove | Columbidae | 5 | 1979 | +6% | 1970 | |
| Chipping Sparrow | Passerellidae | 5 | 1979 | -22% | 1970 | |
| Black Tern | Laridae | 4 | 1968 | n/a | n/a | |
| American Crow | Corvidae | 4 | 1979 | -48% | 1970 | |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Icteridae | 4 | 1979 | -3% | 1970 | |
| American Goldfinch | Fringillidae | 4 | 1979 | -73% | 1970 | |
| Blue-winged Teal | Anatidae | 3 | 1979 | +0% | 1968 | |
| Indigo Bunting | Cardinalidae | 3 | 1979 | +7% | 1970 | |
| Purple Martin | Hirundinidae | 3 | 1974 | +25% | 1970 | |
| Red-eyed Vireo | Vireonidae | 3 | 1968 | n/a | n/a | |
| Yellow Warbler | Parulidae | 3 | 1979 | +100% | 1970 | |
| Great Blue Heron | Ardeidae | 3 | 1978 | n/a | n/a | |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartidae | 2 | 1970 | +0% | 1968 | |
| Eastern Kingbird | Tyrannidae | 2 | 1979 | +23% | 1970 | |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | Tyrannidae | 2 | 1974 | -63% | 1970 | |
| Horned Lark | Alaudidae | 2 | 1974 | -50% | 1968 | |
| Western Meadowlark | Icteridae | 2 | 1979 | -73% | 1970 | |
| Baltimore Oriole | Icteridae | 2 | 1979 | -60% | 1970 | |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | Passerellidae | 2 | 1974 | -33% | 1968 | |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | Cardinalidae | 2 | 1978 | -27% | 1969 | |
| Black-capped Chickadee | Paridae | 2 | 1978 | +11% | 1970 | |
| Tree Swallow | Hirundinidae | 2 | 1971 | +0% | 1969 | |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | Hirundinidae | 2 | 1974 | +200% | 1970 | |
| American Kestrel | Falconidae | 2 | 1974 | +100% | 1970 | |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | Cuculidae | 2 | 1978 | +100% | 1972 | |
| Killdeer | Charadriidae | 1 | 1979 | +125% | 1970 |
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. A route is a sample, not a census.